The Los Angeles Lakers’ season ended with a 103-96 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 at home Wednesday night.
It was a close game, but the Timberwolves ultimately won behind a huge performance from center Rudy Gobert. With the victory, the Timberwolves advance to the second round and await the winner of the first-round series between the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors.
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Earlier in the night, the Rockets staved off elimination by beating the Warriors 131-116. All five of Houston’s starters scored double-digit points in a dominant showing to force a Game 6.
The series heads back to San Francisco on Friday night.
Timberwolves 103, Lakers 96
(Minnesota wins series, 4-1)
Rudy Gobert comes up huge for Wolves
Gobert, one of the most criticized and picked-at players in the NBA, came through when the Timberwolves needed him most, carrying them to a victory over the Lakers and into the second round.
Gobert was absent offensively all series until Game 5. He put up 27 points and 24 rebounds to compensate for the Wolves’ 7-for-47 night from 3-point range. He had a huge sequence midway through the fourth quarter, contesting a jumper from LeBron James in the paint and then getting a put-back dunk of a missed 3 by Donte DiVincenzo for a 91-88 lead.
Gobert scored just 14 points combined in the series’ first four games. He watched the end of the previous two games from the bench with the Wolves going with Naz Reid over him to combat the Lakers’ small lineup.
In this one, he was finally too big to handle.
It wasn’t pretty, but the Timberwolves got it done. They overcame horrendous 3-point shooting to outlast the Lakers and advance to the second round in back-to-back seasons for the first time in franchise history.
MAKE IT 27 POINTS, 21 REBOUNDS!!
Rudy Gobert is EVERYWHERE as Minnesota looks to clinch the series 🔥 https://t.co/ee7YoEfuyS pic.twitter.com/5jb6JhuYIv
— NBA (@NBA) May 1, 2025
Anthony Edwards had a rough game, going 5-for-19, including 0-for-11 from 3-point range. The Wolves continued to settle for 3s even as they could get whatever they wanted at the rim. But the Lakers were ill-equipped to take advantage.
Julius Randle had 23 points, and Mike Conley hit a huge corner 3 late to hold off the Lakers down the stretch.
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The Wolves have beaten Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray and James and Luka Dončić in the playoffs over the last two seasons.
If the Golden State Warriors beat the Houston Rockets, the Wolves will have home-court advantage in the next round. If the Rockets win, the Wolves will start on the road. — Jon Krawczynski, Timberwolves beat writer
Lakers’ lack of a playable center was their undoing
With their season on the line, the Lakers trotted out Maxi Kleber, who hadn’t played since Jan. 25, when he was still a Dallas Maverick. Not only did the Lakers play Kleber in an elimination game, but they played him in the fourth quarter as they tried to stop Rudy Gobert from obliterating them inside.
The sad state of their center position led to their undoing. Coach JJ Redick lost trust in Jaxson Hayes in Game 1. He eventually benched Hayes in the second half of Game 4 and entirely in Game 5, opting to start Dorian Finney-Smith in his place.
Gobert looked like Wilt Chamberlain playing against an undersized big in the ’60s and early ’70s. The Wolves attempted 11 more shots than the Lakers, in part because of their 18 offensive rebounds (nine of which came from Gobert). This was perhaps the worst first-round matchup for Los Angeles, considering Minnesota’s size, length and athleticism at every position.
The Lakers’ No. 1 defense over a 24-game stretch from mid-January through early March was fool’s gold, with Hayes’ play being the most unsustainable part. But they need to find a starting center who can operate as a pick-and-roll partner with Dončić, protect the rim on the other end, and, more importantly, play in the playoffs.
There were other issues for the Lakers in this series, but their lack of size, athleticism and physicality loomed over this five-game loss. — Jovan Buha, Lakers beat writer
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Rockets 131, Warriors 116
(Golden State leads series, 3-2)
Rockets dominate on both ends of the floor
The Rockets, who trailed 3-1 before Wednesday night, could have easily thrown in the towel against a veteran Warriors team. Instead, they buckled down, got back to the basics and dominated at both ends of the floor to earn a trip back to the Bay and give themselves a fighting chance in this series. The Rockets led by as many as 31 points in a game that was never truly threatened by the Warriors.
Hearing Fred VanVleet speak after a bitter Game 4 loss, it was evident he would assume responsibility from the onset. He led all players with 26 points and gave Houston the necessary cushion to see the game through. Three Rockets starters scored 24 or more points, lending to the equal-opportunity offensive approach that has gotten them thus far.
Defensively, Game 5 was nothing new for Houston’s aggression or versatility. Amen Thompson led the way with five steals, but this was a collective effort to pressure Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler, who combined for 21 points on 6-for-22 shooting. Can the Rockets carry this momentum into Game 6 in San Francisco? — Kelly Iko, Rockets beat writer
ALL 5 OF AMEN THOMPSON’S 1ST-HALF STEALS ⬇️
Does NOT want Houston’s season to end 😤 https://t.co/Ic2xyTts9S pic.twitter.com/yVsxmJyMDi
— NBA (@NBA) May 1, 2025
Where was the Warriors’ defense?
Warriors coach Steve Kerr pulled the plug with 18 minutes still left in Game 5. Down 29 points, he benched his starters, leaving these final-minute totals for his older stars: Butler 25, Curry 23 and Draymond Green 18.
The Warriors’ third-teamers made it briefly interesting, slicing Houston’s lead down to 13, forcing Rockets coach Ime Udoka to insert his starters back into the game and even inciting a fourth-quarter skirmish. But the Rockets’ blowout result held, setting up a crucial Game 6. The only benefit to the Warriors during Wednesday night’s no-show was the low-stress minute totals for their main guys.
The Warriors gained control of this series on the defensive end, holding the Rockets below 30 points in 14 of the first 16 quarters and below 100 in two of the three wins. That flipped in Game 5. The Rockets scorched them for 40 first-quarter points, made their first 14 free throws (after what had been a previously terrible series from the line) and crossed the 100-point mark at the 2:54 mark of the third quarter.
The Warriors didn’t bring the proper level of defensive focus and seemed content letting this series extend to a sixth game instead of trying to hunt a comeback against a desperate Rockets team. — Anthony Slater, Warriors beat writer
(Photo of Dorian Finney-Smith and LeBron James: Harry How / Getty Images)
